Names in the news, July 6

Ron Barber (photo), a staff member for Rep. Gabrielle Giffords who was gravely injured in the Tucson mass shooting Jan. 8, returned to work for the first time Tuesday, sharing tears, hugs and memories of those who didn’t survive. Barber, 65, was shot in the cheek and thigh during the Jan. 8 attack that killed six people and injured 13, including Barber and Giffords. The shooting killed his colleague, Gabe Zimmerman, and John Roll, Barber’s college buddy and a federal judge. Barber spent the past six months undergoing physical therapy and trying to cope with the trauma of the shooting and loss of friends. … Veteran New Romantic band Duran Duran has called off its summer tour because frontman Simon Le Bon is recovering from voice problems. The European tour had been due to start in Dublin next week and continue through mid-September. Le Bon said Tuesday he had damaged muscles controlling his vocal cords, leaving him unable to hit top notes. Duran Duran’s 1980s hits included “Wild Boys” and “Rio.” Their latest album is “All You Need is Now.” … The California radio preacher who predicted the world would end on May 21 has been moved to a nursing home, where he is recovering from a stroke he suffered June 9. Harold Camping‘s Family Radio network is working to replace the 89-year-old’s show, Open Forum, with interim programming. Camping predicted Judgment Day would occur first in 1994 and again this May. His media empire spent millions of dollars, some culled from followers’ donations, over seven years on billboards and other publicity for his 2011 predictions about the spiritual Rapture in May and the end of the world now scheduled for October.